Excerpt
by TempestTorn
Summary: A scene from what I hope will turn into a longer alternate dimesion fic.
Ok, so this is a brief excerpt from an idea I've had in my head for a while that kind of turned into a potential four-part series. Unfortunately, this is the only bit I've been able to get out and it actually takes place during part three. I've been having trouble getting part one started even though I know what I want to happen, so I've finally decided to post this. Hopefully you all like it and it will motivate me to get the beginning up. Please review!

-Tempest

...

She sat on her bed, staring at her completed project. The newly finished guitar was sitting on the chair near the window, and as much as she wanted to, Saku couldn't tear her eyes from it. As she watched the moonlight glinting off the lacquer, she wondered how long it had been since she last crafted a guitar. After her father's death she hadn't had the desire, and then college had dominated her time.

' _Has it really been six years?'_ Saku thought for a minute, ' _Yes…six years and five months. It seems like so long ago'._

As she continued to stare at her guitar, she felt again the grief of her parents' deaths. So much had happened recently, and she realized she hadn't thought of her parents since before she had come to this world. The guilt and grief weighed upon her, adding to the daily misery she felt. Without warning, the room became stifling and hot. She felt the walls pressing in on her, even felt the judgment coming from the instrument she had so lovingly made. Without a second thought, Saku flung open the window and easily climbed up onto the roof of the house.

There was a light, cool breeze, and the moon was full and bright above her. She took a few steps away from the edge of the roof and attempted to control her thoughts. She sat down on the rough tile, taking in the scenery around her. The rustling of the leaves was soothing, and she could hear the sounds of the nighttime wildlife. As she watched, she noticed a raccoon scurrying along the edge of the woods, working its way toward the house through shadow. She watched it, and it struck her how many similarities there were between shinobi and the small animal.

' _Both work best in the cover of darkness, sneaking around, stealing quietly in the night',_ she leaned forward, getting down on her stomach and leaning over the edge of the roof to continue watching.

"What are you doing?" Saku stiffened at the voice.

After getting over her initial shock at his presence, she had made it a point to avoid Itachi completely, and it looked like her luck had finally run out. Without replying or even glancing back at him, Saku stood and walked back to where she knew her room was. As she was lowering herself into the window, she felt his hand grip her arm, and before she realized what was happening she found herself thrown onto her back on the roof, the tiles cutting into her painfully. She took in the view of the stars for a moment before silently getting up and attempting again to return to her room. Saku was thrown backwards again, this time with Itachi's hand on her throat to keep her in place.

"You have been avoiding me," he stated quietly, no threat or question but simply a statement. He leaned over to watch her face. "Why?"

Saku took a deep breath, closing her eyes so she didn't have to look at him. It didn't matter how much time had passed, or that this was not _her_ Itachi, she knew she wouldn't be able to look at him without breaking down into tears. So she lay there silently, fighting down her anxiety and hoping he would leave her be when he realized she had no intention of answering. She should have known better.

"Haruno," he began, tightening his hold ever so slightly on her throat, "you will answer me, or you will die."

Saku didn't know much about this Itachi, but she recognized that tone. Differences be damned, she knew that he was completely serious, and her heart clenched at the thought that he would kill her without any remorse.

Itachi watched the pink haired girl for a moment, letting his threat sink in. From what Leader had told him, this woman had no knowledge of him or his reputation, so the fact that she was avoiding him was curious. He could tell by their reactions that none of the other Akatsuki members understood why either, not even Deidara, who spent time with her every day that he was at the base. But Itachi had a job to do, and he wasn't going to let her childish actions stand in his way. The hold on her throat tightened again, and he knew that she must be feeling the lack of oxygen. Her breathing was labored, but she made no move to speak, or even resist.

"Very well." Itachi tightened his grip, completely cutting off Saku's air supply.

He expected her eyes to open. He expected her to struggle against him and finally give him the answer to the question that had plagued him for the past six weeks. What he did not expect was for her body to relax as a small, sad smile appeared on her face. Realization dawned on him and he quickly released her. The idea that the girl was suicidal had never occurred to any of them, especially given what they knew about his brother's teammate.

"Why did you stop?" Itachi looked down at her. Her eyes were still closed, and she almost seemed like she regretted the fact that he had let go.

' _She really does want to die. Leader will need to be informed.´_ Not knowing how to proceed, Itachi decided to bring up the topic he'd been trying to address.

"Why do you avoid me?" There was no answer, so after a few moments he continued, "Leader-sama has assigned me to train you in Genjutsu. We begin tomorrow morning. Do not be late." He stood to leave and heard her shift below him.

"No." Saku was sitting now, her eyes still closed and her head down.

"You do not have a choice in this matter." Itachi replied, glancing down at her.

"Very well," came the resigned response. If Itachi hadn't been looking at her, if he hadn't had the Sharingan, he may have missed the slight shift in her body weight. He may have missed the way her hands were placed on the roof that gave away her intentions. But he was Uchiha Itachi, and he knew what she planned almost as soon as she decided to do it, so when Saku jumped off the roof she only fell for a moment before he caught her and landed lightly on the lawn with her in his arms.

It took a moment for Saku to realize what had happened, and as soon as she did she started to struggle in his hold, wanting nothing more than to put as much distance between them as possible.

"Stop." His voice was low but firm and Saku's efforts to get away increased.

"No. Let me go."

"I cannot do that."

Itachi made his way into the house, carrying her roughly up the stairs and back to her room. Saku wasn't sure how he managed to open her bedroom door with her in his arms, but in three powerful strides he had crossed her room and dumped her onto the bed. Saku bounced slightly, and her breath stopped when she looked up at him in confusion, meeting his gaze for the first time since she'd been with the Akatsuki.

Itachi's face was very familiar to her, but compared to what she had expected to see, the differences were glaring. His eyes were a deep red, almost glowing in the dark, with three tomoe surrounding his pupil. Saku had seen Sasuke's Sharingan enough to recognize it, and almost scolded herself for not realizing that Itachi would also carry the bloodline limit of his clan. Saku continued to let her eyes take in Itachi's appearance, noting the deep stress lines under his eyes and the lack of expression on his face.

' _It's so strange,'_ she thought to herself, _'even though he was always serious, I guess I got used to seeing the emotion underneath. He seems almost…sad? Maybe. Resigned? That could be it. Whatever it is…'_ her thoughts trailed off as her hand reached for his cheek in a silent attempt to soothe him.

Saku was snapped out of her reverie by his tight grip on her wrist, stopping her movements with a glare. He didn't have to ask the question in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what I was doing." Saku withdrew her hand and lowered her gaze, sinking back against the pillows and mentally berating herself for her stupidity. She felt him move away from her bedside and waited for the sound of the door to confirm his exit. Her head snapped back up at the next sounds that reached her, sending her gaze searching for Itachi's even as the words left her mouth.

"Don't touch that!" Saku jumped off the bed and rushed to her chair. Itachi had picked up her guitar and placed it none-too-gently against the wall. Saku snatched the instrument from where it leaned, quickly checking it over and moving out of his reach.

"Why are you still here? Please leave." She almost begged. She could tell that the stress and grief of being near him and interacting with him was getting to her. She wouldn't last much longer before she broke down in tears, and that was the last thing she wanted to do in front of this man. In answer to her question, Itachi leisurely took a seat in the now vacant chair.

"You will be monitored until you are no longer a danger to yourself."

"What? What are you talking about?" Itachi looked at her, his blank expression more of an answer than any words could be.

Saku ran a hand through her short pink locks, letting out a frustrated sigh as she did so, "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. It won't happen again. Please leave."

She knew he was right, but she didn't see why he would care if she lived. She still wasn't sure what it was that the Akatsuki wanted from her, just that she was eventually supposed to meet their leader.

' _I guess there's something they want bad enough that Uchiha Itachi himself feels he needs to babysit me.´_

Itachi didn't respond, instead watching her quietly, taking in the delicate and careful way she handled the instrument as she rested it against the wall by the bedside table, running her hands softly along the strings as she did so.

"Sleep, Haruno."

Saku shot Itachi a glare as she slipped under the covers, but it did not last long. She knew that this man was a stranger, but being in his presence was affecting her. Seeing his face reminded her of everything that she had lost; he reminded her of the unborn child that she had loved so much and the man who had broken her heart. She pulled up her blanket and turned towards the wall as her eyes filled with tears. Dark thoughts filled her mind as the tears fell and she mourned her losses.

Hours later, Itachi watched the girl in the bed before him sleep fitfully. He could tell that she had cried herself to sleep, although no sounds had reached his ears except that of her erratic breathing. The shaking of her body under the blanket had been a dead giveaway. Itachi brought his hands together and rested his chin on them as he contemplated what to do with the information he had learned.

She had avoided him for six weeks. At first he hadn't cared, but two days ago he had been instructed to train her, and her avoidance of him became an issue. When he had sensed her go up to the roof, he knew it would be his best chance to confront her. He didn't care what she thought of him, but she was the key to the plan, and he needed her to cooperate. The fact that she would rather die than spend time with him was unexpected to say the least, but her reaction when she finally looked at him was even more so. Her eyes had been full of sadness and hurt. There was no life, no spark like he had seen in his brother's teammate before.

He wondered briefly what could have caused it and quickly dismissed the thought. It didn't matter what had happened to her, what mattered was that she had obviously succumbed to grief and depression to the point of being suicidal. He would have to make sure the other Akatsuki members were aware so that they could also watch her.

As he reflected on the impact her mental state would have on the plan, he realized that something had to be done to break her of it. If she didn't care whether she lived or died, they most likely wouldn't be able to get her to cooperate. Itachi sighed and rubbed his eyes, feeling a headache coming on as he settled more comfortably in the chair. He had a feeling tomorrow was going to be a long day.


End file.
